Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-22

THE HERALD drew attention yester-
day to the fact that this city, and
consequently the rest of the State, is
exposed to the importotion of conta-
gious diseases from Mexico, and that
smallpox has already found its way
into California from Guaymas and
other points in Sonora because of the
failure OF the Legislature OF 1885 to
furnish to the State Board of Health
the means to establish an effective
quarantine against Mexico. 1t re-
quires no ready money, outside OF
the ordinary appropriation, to estab
lish effective quarantine against infec-
tious cases coming to this State by sea.
The local Board OF Health in San
Francisco can do that at any time,
and whenever vessel arrives with
infection on board, it is Immediately
ordered into quarantine and the pro-
lection is complete. But to guard
against the introduction of contagion
by land is quite different matter.
The jurisdiction of the State only ex-
tends to the boundary line at Yuma.
But, for an object of this character,
the Territorial officers of Arizona, and
the n anagers of the railroad compa-
nies, are always ready and glad to
cooperate. Therefore it becomes
necessary in order to protect the
State, that competent medical in
spectors should be stationed at points
in Arizona, to visit all the cars bring.
ing passengers from Mexico, and
quarantining such as are found TO be
tainted with the prohibited diseases.
To do this requires that sufficient
means should be placed at the dispo.
sition OF the State Board of Health,
the official body under whose control
those matters properly come. The
present State Board is a credit to
California. 1t is composed OF the
ablest and most public-spirited ply
sicians in all parts of the State. They
have established perfect esprit de
corps, and DIR. G. G.. Tyrrell. their
Secretary, is most capable and ener-
getic officer. This Board in vain APP
piled to the two Legislatures preced-
ing this one for the money necessary
to protect our State from contagion
from Mexico, Indeed, California was
once so dangerously threatened, and
the imperativeness Of placing inspec-
tors on the line of the railroad in
Arizona was SO great that Governor
Perkins opened his secret service
fund to the use of the'Board, and thus
saved the State from calamity. But
matters OF this important character
should not be left to chance. The
Board of Jealth should have the
means - carry { 1t its work,
and the p:esent ! egislature, in
view of the fact that small
pox is raging in the frontier
towns of Mexico, should at once ap-
propriate the money needed by the
Board. Now it is smallpox, in few
mon tbs it will be yellow-fever that
we shall have to guard against, and
therefore liberal sum, always avail
able, should be placed at the disposal
OF the Board. DR.. Briceland, who
came here Sunday with the Hospital
Com mittee of the Senate, after read.
ing our article on this subject yes
terday, drew the attention OF the
other Legislators here to the facts
and arguments OF the HERALD, and
they all agreed that they would urge
the Legislature, on their return, to
make an appropriation OF $4,000 to
carry out the very important object
OF preventing here after the introduc-
tion into our State OF contagious dis
ease from Mexico. If the visit to
Los Angeles of the Senate Hospital
Com mittee should result in securing
such an appropriation, it will have
been one of the most beneficial to
the whole State that we have ever
had to note.